The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-09
Gi I G,ttelliiq,(e,t,t,1te:r,.
once. Nos. w and 81 Fourteenth Street,
PROHIBITION IN. ATLANTA.


Tho conditions under which prohibition
was tried in Atlanta nro essentially differ.
ent from those existing In any other place
or locality whore 1t has been attempted.
In tho first place, tho class Of people favor.
Ing 1t at the start WAS not one correspond.
ing with that usually engaged in inaupu.
rating such movements. II was not The
exceptional religious enthusiast, the emo.
tionnl women, and the sensational preach.
ers who gave prohibition It's flint incep.
ton here, but tho leading business moi,
the healthy, arccesBful politicianu, the 40.
cicty women, and the most conservative
OF tho clergy. No movement could
have had leaa OF sensational ORIGIN,
Tho Young Mems Christian Association.
which comprises the cream Of tho social
Influence Of the city, wGs for prohibition
from the start. Its most ELOQUENT adyo.
cate in the press and on the hustings was
Henry W. Grady, tho famous editor OF
the Constitution. The staid and conserya.
tive Episcopalian church went into the
work as zeslously as the warmer Metho.
diat denomination, and stern Presbyteri.
aninm WED with the more advanced Con.
eresationalism in pushing at the car.
while the mighty baptist church swung
its powerful engines all into line 10 bear
upon the intrenchments that yero to be
assaulted. There was, in fact, no respecta.
bic moral or religious organization that
was not positively and aggresslvely for
prohibition. ,s.4 gI'HIf I'IGf' IN
From this 1t will be plain that when
the churches here took hold Of prohibition
as q political MEASURE success was assured
in advance. 81, 5slgsC- f-mrf 80
Now what has been the operation Of pro.
hibition in Atlanta? ~ - aIGliII
One good-call 1t lower good II Won
will--haB been affected. Tho saloon puis.
ance has been abated. Nor has ANYTHING
at all cognale taken It's place. The bar.
room loa(ers, tho bar.room noise, the bar.
room tone, have disappeared. The evil
effect Of the wino-rooms are not underrat.
cd, but they are nothing like tho open bur.
rooms. To certain class they present
great dauger-greatcr, perhaps, than the
saloons did this class, however, is a
limited one. Those young men are refer.
red to who were ashamed to be seen in the
open saloons. But the city Council Is 80
Hedging the wiEe-rooms about with penal
Restrictions that there influence for evil
will soon be to large evtent neutralized,
The truth, alao, may as well be- told, that
liquor drinkers cannot be- fooled on such
stutf CD theee NATIVE wine" dealers dish
out. The same may be said oi"agoricn
and OF "new era" beer. Both will hplsy
out" in ehort time. 1F02 57sJl ~
But now We come to more serious
phase Of the queation-to wit: Tho ''jug
bushes" Within easy distance of At
lsnta excellent qualities Of corn whisky
are made and brought here in gallon Jugs
by the train load. Aud one can obtain
whisky in this way who wants ii and who
has the email moticum OF money neces.
ssry to purchase q jugiul. 5.!' = ~
This Jug business has not produced the
dire effects thus far that have been Dor.
trayed by some sensational correspond
ents; it has not substituted a wofae evil
than the saloon system; it has not "hlled
the city with drunkards." Atlanta is to.
day far more orderly city than it was
before prohibition Went into effect. Tho
influence Of the movement is especially
seen upon the negro element and the poor
whites. You cannot make IS much of a
hell out of a secluded shed, or haymow,
or clubhouse, where few choice spirits
stealthily colgregate around the festive
Jug, az you can Of on open saloon. Ex-
perience here has proved this to bs true,
the Sensational statenenta Of alsrmiets to
the contrary notwithstanding. 5gG
But still the Jug business Is an unpless-
ant reality staring every good citizen in
| tho face. There is another class than
those named that is to be considcred ia
connection with the jug busineBs. Tho
fact 10 now apparent that very large pei
centgge OF the business men Of Atlanta
arc pstron;zing the jug business. In some
shape it meets you everywhere.
Now, what is the result OF. this condi-
ton Of things? More drunkenness than
before prohibition Was adopted? No; as.
suredly no. $ The man is slandorer who
eays eo.,a But what will in the future be
the result2 = 49,! 81 81,
This is the question which the thought
| full are asking. And those who do not
float with tho tide and look beneath the
surface OF things are thinking something
| like this: "All this ease with which liquor
is obtained, notwithstanding the sweeping
measure Of prohibition We have passed,
demonstrates conclusively that 1t Is an i'm
possibility to prevent people from obtain
ing Intoxicating liquor to drink. Now if
We make it expensive will we not lessen
tho abuse? In other words, if we adopt
stringent system OF high license will We
not affect something like the improve
ment we now have upon the old order of
things (for it is an Improvement, and at
tho same time insure US against a possible
disastrous outcome Of the jug business if
continued? Will not high license give US,
better regulated saloons and do away with
the saloon loafer and the saloon hummer?
The minority have I referred to 10 not
noisy nor at preaent active. 1t bides Its
time. It Is not q 1owdy minority. In due
tins it will express itself. Undoubtedly
among its constituent parts arc some 81
seems to be poorly organized. Whether
it will effect anything remains to be seen.
| d TH#s.tt